LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Drake University softball team closes its non-conference tournament schedule at the Jayhawk Invitational, hosted by Kansas on March 10-12.
 
Drake opens the invitational against UMKC on March 10 at 1 p.m. before taking on Green Bay at 5:30 p.m. The Bulldogs then matchup against Kansas and Green Bay on March 11 with game times set for 1:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively. Drake closes the invitational with a game against Iowa on March 13 at 3:30 p.m. Every game will have live stats while the Kansas game will have a live audio stream.
 
Drake (14-8) closed out the Easton Crimson Classic last weekend in Tuscaloosa, Ala. with two- straight walk-off wins over Jacksonville and Stanford. The Bulldogs went 2-3 over the weekend, dropping two games against then No. 9 Alabama as well as a five-inning game against Stanford. Two days later after that tough loss to the Cardinal, the Bulldogs rebounded with a 5-4 victory over the Stanford, which came after they defeated Jacksonville, 2-1, the night before. Drake's pair of wins came on walk-off doubles by senior Megan Sowa (Gurnee, Ill.) against Jacksonville and sophomore Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.) against Stanford.
 
Junior pitcher Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif, who has a 6-4 overall record, picked up both wins in Alabama for the Bulldogs. Smith pitched 23.0 innings over four games giving 16 runs (13 earned), striking out eight batters and walking 12.
 
The Bulldogs open the Jayhawk Invitational facing a 4-14 UMKC team who boasts wins over UMBC, Rider and Nicholls State this season. Green Bay's (1-9) sole win this season came against IUPUI in a 10-2 victory. Iowa (2-12) is coming off losing four of its last five games, all to Top-25 teams, including dropping close contests against Arizona State and California last weekend. Kansas is 12-9 this season coming off a 2-4 performance at the Citrus Classic, including a 5-0 loss against No. 14 James Madison.
 
Following the Jayhawk Invitational, Drake opens their Missouri Valley Conference season with a doubleheader at Wichita State on March 18 with the first game starting at 12 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN3.